Display unit for paint colors

ABSTRACT

A display having a generally tower-like shape including a body having a plurality of vertically spaced pockets holding paint color samples that may be viewed by a person and selected for viewing in a miniature room located above the body. The room has three side walls for receiving the color samples and an open side for viewing the samples in the room. The floor of the room receives a selected flooring sample made form tile, carpeting, wood, etc. and the top of the room is open to receive either daylight or sunlight from an overhead light source as selected by the viewer so that the viewer will be able to see the chosen paint color in a realistic setting of a room.

OBJECTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

[0001] The present invention generally relates to display apparatus and more particulary to a display for paint colors.

[0002] An object of the present invention is to provide a novel display for exhibiting paint colors in a realistic setting.

[0003] A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel display for displaying paint colors as they would appear in a room to be painted with the colors.

[0004] A further object of the present invention is to provide a display for displaying paint colors in a room setting with either room light or daylight.

[0005] Another object of the present invention is to provide a display that allows a person such as an ordinary consumer to conveniently select a desired color from a group of colored chips or samples and to view that sample in a room setting under conditions of daylight or sunlight.

SUMMARY OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

[0006] In summary a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a display having a generally tower-like shape including a body having a plurality of vertically spaced pockets holding paint color samples that may be viewed by a person and selected for viewing in a miniature room located above the body. The room has three side walls for receiving the color samples and an open side for viewing the samples in the room. The floor of the room receives a selected flooring sample made form tile, carpeting, wood, etc. and the top of the room is open to receive either daylight or sunlight from an overhead light source as selected by the viewer so that the viewer will be able to see the chosen paint color in a realistic setting of a room.

DRAWINGS

[0007] Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent form the following more detailed description taken in conjunction with the attached drawings in which:

[0008]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a display unit constituting a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0009]FIG. 2 is a view generally similar to FIG. 1 but with a portion of the unit rotated into a different position;

[0010]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along lines 3-3 of FIG. 5;

[0011]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along lines 4-4 of FIG. 5; and

[0012]FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of an upper portion of the unit showing how color samples are inserted or removed from a miniature room included in the unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] Referring to the drawings in detail there is shown for illustrative purposes only, a display constituting a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The display shown, includes a base of any suitable shape such as the generally rectangular block 8 on which is rotatably mounted an elongated body shown as a rectangular tower 12 having a plurality of vertically spaced pockets 14 (see FIG. 3) on each of its four sides for receiving paint color samples, for example eight inch (8″) square samples 16 in sheet form. In one embodiment each side of the tower 12 has twenty six (26) sample pockets so that a total of one hundred four (104) samples 16 may be stored for viewing. In the specific embodiment shown, block 8 is mounted on a horizontal platform 10.

[0014] Above the sample holder tower 12 is fixed a miniature room generally designated 20 having a floor 22 and three side walls 24 as shown in FIG. 4. In the preferred embodiment, the walls 24 are each eight inch (8″) squares so that the samples 16 may be placed against the walls 24 in order to view the samples as they would appear in a room. One side of the room 20 is left open through which the viewing takes place. In the preferred embodiment, the side walls 24 are provided with one or more horizontally extending channels 26 through which the samples 16 are slid into position against walls 24 as shown in FIG. 5. In the shown embodiment two such channels 26 are provided at the top and bottom of the walls 24 for positioning and retaining the samples 16 against the walls 24.

[0015] The floor 22 of room 20 is adapted to receive a sample 28 of any type of flooring including ceramic, vinyl, tile, wood, cork, composition etc. The floor samples are simply slid along the floor 22 preferably below the bottom channels 26 in the shown embodiment of FIG. 4. The floor samples 28 may also be stored in the sample holder 12.

[0016] The room 20 is fixed to the base 8 in any suitable manner perferably by a column structure (not shown) extending vertically through the interior of tower 12 and fixed to and between the room 20 and base 8. In the shown embodiment the top of the room 20 is left open so that either daylight or room light may be imparted to the samples 16 when they are against the walls of the room. The light is provided from an overhead light source such as a SOLUXTM light mounted in a cylindrical shade 32 fixed to and above the room by a neck 33 as shown in the drawings. A switch 34 is provided in the shade 32 to enable the user to switch from daylight to room light, or vice-versa. An on-off switch 36 for energizing or de-energizing the light source is also conveniently provided in the shade 32. The display of the present invention may of course be made from any suitable material such as wood, plastic or metal or any combination thereof.

[0017] In use of the display of the present invention, the viewer selects color samples 16 from the holder 12 and inserts them into the room 20 against the walls. A flooring sample is then selected and inserted on the floor of the room. The switch 34 is then moved to daylight allowing the viewer to see the sample colors as they would appear in a room under daylight conditions. The switch 34 is then moved to the room light position and the viewer sees the sample colors as they would appear in a room under room light. In addition to paint colors, the display of the present invention may also exhibit colors of other coatings or substances.

[0018] Although a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described above, it will be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art that modifications of the present invention may be made but without departing from the scope of the present invention which appears in the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A display for exhibiting color samples including in combination a miniature room including a floor, three side walls and an open side for viewing into the room, means for positioning color samples against said walls, said floor adapted to receive a sample flooring, said room having an open top, and a light source above the room for illuminating the room while it holds the samples.
 2. The display of claim 1 wherein said light source includes means for illuminating the room with either daylight or room light.
 3. The display defined in claim 1 including a sample holder located below said room and including means for holding samples.
 4. The display of claim 1 including a base, and said room is mounted to the base.
 5. The display of claim 4 including a sample holder mounted on said base below said room for rotation.
 6. The display of claim 5 including a light source above the room and mounted to the base.
 7. The display of claim 4 including a light source above the room.
 8. The display of claim 6 including a shade mounted to the base and wherein said light source is mounted on the shade.
 9. The display of claim 6 wherein said light source has means for casting either room light or daylight on said room.
 10. The display of claim 1 including means forming passages on said side walls for receiving said color samples.
 11. The display of claim 2 including means forming passages on said side walls for receiving said color samples.
 12. A method of viewing color samples including the steps of positioning sheets of color samples on the walls of a miniature room having an open portion through which the color samples may be viewed, and providing a light source for imparting light into the room while it contains the samples.
 13. The method defined in claim 12 further including the step of providing a sample of flooring material on the bottom of the room so that the sample colors may be viewed in combination with the sample flooring.
 14. The method defined in claim 12 including the step of storing the sample paint colors in a holder associated with the miniature room.
 15. The method defined in claim 13 including the step of storing the sample paint colors in a holder associated with the miniature room.
 16. A method of viewing and storing color samples including the steps of positioning sheets of color samples on the walls of a miniature room having an open portion through which the color samples may be viewed, and storing the color samples on a holder associated with the miniature room. 